


Courfeyrac's Strays

by prettybirdy979



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Character Study, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 19:32:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1953444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettybirdy979/pseuds/prettybirdy979
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Courfeyrac has a habit of picking up strays, taking them home and finding them a new home. This is his largest stray yet.</p><p>Or the one where Enjolras can't keep a track of his friend's lives; Courfeyrac is kind and they (and Combeferre) will do anything for a friend, even one they have only just met.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Courfeyrac's Strays

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what this is. It's kinda a character study, oneshot-y thing... A chance for me to get feedback on how I write some of the Amis before I try writing the long fic I have planned. 
> 
> Thanks to Sandy for reading this over and the folks at #antidiogenes for giving me the push to write it.

**From Courfeyrac** : _Running late, having a minor issue. Have lunch without me, I’ll be at the meeting._

 **From Bossuet:** _Fey has another stray. You might like this one._

Enjolras sighs as he checks his phone then hands it to Combeferre without a word. Who smiles as he reads the texts and hands it back.

‘What do you think it is this time?’ Combeferre asks as they both gulp down their coffee. They have silently agreed that they need to go visit Courfeyrac now. His strays are _legendary_ among the Amis and practically everyone has taken one in (though Bahorel’s dog Cat is about the only stray that has found a permanent home with one of them, the rest get moved on within the week).

‘Probably another cat.’ Enjolras grabs the muffin they had brought for Courfeyrac and sticks it in his bag. Courfeyrac’s apartment is barely a two minute walk from this cafe, hence why they always ate there.

‘No, wouldn’t be an issue if it was a cat.’ Combeferre is trying not to laugh at how put out Enjolras sounds. ‘Jehan’s been looking for one, he would have taken it straight over.’  

‘I thought they already had one?’

‘They do. They want another one.’ Enjolras groans. ‘Been talking about it for a while now?’

‘I can’t keep up!’ Combeferre has to laugh at the look on his friend’s face.

‘I know you can’t. That’s why you have me and Fey.’ Enjolras does offer him a small smile as they start up the stairs to Courfeyrac’s apartment.

‘So, cat, dog or bird?’ Enjolras jokes as he unlocks the door with his spare key. Combeferre hums as he considers the question while taking their shoes off as per Courfeyrac’s odd rule.

‘Bi-’ They both freeze as they enter the living room and see the confused young man sitting beside Courfeyrac, his eyes wide and bloodshot, his face covered in tears and Courfeyrac’s bright orange blanket on his shoulders. He looks up at their voices and freezes too.

‘Not a bird.’ Enjolras says and really, he manages a good joke _now_? Combeferre has to bite his bottom lip so as not to laugh and even Courfeyrac looks away. The brown haired man beside him just looks at Enjolras, his expression half horror and half confusion. It’s an interesting expression.

‘Ah, Enjolras, Combeferre. This is Marius, my roommate. Marius, these are Combeferre and Enjolras, my friends.’ As he speaks he gestures to each. When Marius goes to stand up, Courfeyrac grabs his wrist and keeps him sitting with a shake of his head. It’s obvious why, as even from his brief moment standing, Combeferre can see that Marius’ legs are shaking and he realises that Marius must be in some state of emotional shock.

‘Nice to meet you.’ Enjolras says toneless, as if it was the automatic response. Combeferre wouldn’t be surprised if it was; between himself and Courfeyrac they’ve managed to get Enjolras something close to polite on occasions that deserve it. Which even he appreciates; after all, his golden voice can only do so much to talk them out of the situations they get into and every little advantage helps.

‘Nice to meet you too?’ Marius soft voice only adds to his young appearance and Combeferre can’t help but wonder if he’s even 18 yet.

‘I didn’t know you had a roommate, Courfeyrac.’ Enjolras continues as if Marius hadn’t spoken. ‘You never mentioned him.’ He sounds pissed and Combeferre can understand why. Surely Courfeyrac would have told them if one of his regular bedmates had become something more permanent?

‘It’s a new thing.’ Courfeyrac smiles tightly then sighs. ‘Look, Marius is from one of my law classes. He’s going through a rough patch so I offered him my spare room. Fine?’ Oh. Well that made a lot more sense. A stray. Though Marius was definitely the largest of Courfeyrac’s strays and possibly the most permanent.

‘Fine.’ Enjolras says frowning. ‘Did I say it wasn’t fine? I was just curious, I’m sure I would have remembered if you had a roommate.’ Combeferre facepalms as Courfeyrac begins to laugh.

‘Should I go?’ The bewildered Marius asks, looking from person to person. He tries to rise but Courfeyrac holds him down again.

‘No!’ Both Combeferre and Courfeyrac cry.

‘You’re fine.’ Courfeyrac adds. ‘Just our Enjolras is a bit, well dense when it comes to anything not related to his causes.’ Enjolras shrugs at the description and Marius bites back a small smile. ‘No, you stay. Now, where’s the rest of your things?’

Marius shakes his head and gestures at a small bag beside him. ‘That’s everything. Grandpa… well he told me to leave and I couldn’t stay anoth… I didn’t have the chan… That’s all I have.’

The three of them exchange knowing looks. Then Courfeyrac frowns. ‘Do you still have your keys?’

He blinks in confusion but reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys. ‘Yes?’

Combeferre instantly realises what Courfeyrac is planning.  ‘How long ago were you thrown out?’

‘Two hours? I think… I ran into Bossuet nearly straight away and then Courfeyrac…’

Combeferre smiles. ‘Perfect. Courfeyrac, you up to it?’ His friend nods then eyes Marius. He glances over at Enjolras then back again.

‘Marius, stand up a moment.’ Confused, he does so and Courfeyrac rises as well. He drags Enjolras over and compares their heights. While not exact, it’s close.

‘The hair is all wrong.’ Combeferre offers. ‘But the height and build would work.’

Enjolras takes a long, deep breath as he catches onto their plan but then he nods. ‘I’ll borrow Fey’s beanie, that’ll hide my curls.’

‘What are you doing?’ Marius asks in a high pitched and confused voice. Combeferre gently pushes him back onto the lounge and takes Courfeyrac’s seat beside him.

‘Courfeyrac and Enjolras are going to take your keys and go to your Grandpa’s. They’ll get as much of your stuff as they can, so you don’t only have the clothes on your back.’ Marius looks stunned, as if he can’t believe what he’s hearing. ‘We’ve done this before.’ Combeferre adds. ‘Some of our other friends have had issues like this. If your keys don’t work, they’ll still be able to get your stuff.’

‘Okay.’ Marius looks at them all gratefully. ‘Okay. My room is on the first floor, third door on the left.’

‘Thank you.’ Enjolras holds out the jacket he’s just removed. Wordlessly, Marius swaps it for the one he’s wearing. When Enjolras pulls it on he looks a little like Marius; enough that if seen from behind he could be mistaken for him. It’s not strictly necessary, but it might help them escape suspicion and thus having to avoid the police; especially if anyone from the neighbourhood sees them. Now the neighbours will more likely assume it’s Marius and a friend instead of two slightly shady looking youths.

Enjolras nods at Courfeyrac and they go to leave. They don’t ask where to go; Marius must have given Courfeyrac his grandfather’s address earlier.

‘Leave the keys on my dresser.’ Both of them pause in the doorway at Marius’ soft call. ‘I won’t be needing them again.’

********

They’ve just gotten the last of Marius’ clothes into the suitcase they found in his wardrobe when there’s a gasp from the doorway.

‘Marius?’ A man asks, and they turn. Standing in the doorway is an older man and he’s examining Enjolras with a look of delight. It quickly turns to confusion when he sees Enjolras’ face.

‘You’re not-’

‘No.’ Enjolras cuts him off. ‘We’re his friends.’ He nods at Courfeyrac, grabs the suitcase and one of the bags of books they’ve decided to take and pushes past the man, who must be Marius’ grandfather.

‘How…?’ Marius’ grandfather looks after Enjolras in confusion, then back at Courfeyrac.

‘He gave us his keys.’ Courfeyrac holds them up and something in the man’s face tightens.

Courfeyrac sighs and bends down to pick up his own bags of books, barely a small section of the ones Marius owns but all they can carry. He pauses and eyes the dresser before he takes three photo frames from it; two of Marius as a young child with a similar looking woman and a recent one of Marius and a young dark haired woman at a birthday party. He leaves the one of Marius and his grandfather, though he has already taken a photo of it with his phone’s camera.

‘Those ar-’

‘Those are Marius’; you’re not keeping them.’ With a glare Courfeyrac cuts Marius’ grandfather off. He glares back but is silent as Courfeyrac places the frames on top of his bags. There is one last thing for Courfeyrac to do and he wishes he could have done it alone but it seems while the man won’t protest their presence here, he won’t leave them alone now.

So with a silent sigh, Courfeyrac places Marius’ keys in front of the remaining photo. He glances up when Marius’ grandfather grasps again.

‘He said he wouldn’t need them anymore.’ Courfeyrac offers, before grabbing his bags and pushing past the older man.

He pretends not to see the look of devastation on the man’s face. After all, he’s the one who burnt this bridge and Courfeyrac is a fan of people understanding what they’ve done. And Marius hadn’t held back in detailing the fight that had led to him walking out as he was told to not come back… some of those things even _Bahorel_ would have been hurt by; poor newly outed as bisexual Marius hadn’t had a chance even without the baggage of his father’s death. Marius’ grandfather deserves this and so Courfeyrac hardens his heart and leaves him alone to suffer the consequences.

Enjolras meets him at the door and they flee the house together. Courfeyrac doesn’t look back.

 


End file.
